WEEVILS ARE BEING USED TO KILL invasive weed on the Grantham Canal.
Canal & River Trust is calling on the help of thousands of weed munching weevils on the Grantham Canal as part of its effort to tackle invasive plant species.
Tiny creatures
Weevils are being used, as this tiny 2mm long creature munches away at the North American water fern (Azolla filiculoides).
With the weed being particularly problematic to the canal network due to its voracious growth that if left unchecked, can cover the surface of a waterway with a thick weedy mat. This then of course reduces light and oxygen levels in the water, killing fish and other wildlife.
The weevils are an effective natural means of tackling the problem of water fern. They are at their most active at this time of year and breed quickly so they can very rapidly munch their way through a very large mass of the water fern. The weevils are known to feed exclusively on the water fern and don’t cause damage to other native species.
Rapid acceleration
The ecologist, Reanne Bower, at Canal & River Trust explained:
“Water fern was first introduced to the UK by the Victorians as an ornamental plant for ponds, but over the years,has spread into the nation’s watercourses. As the weather gets warmer it’s likely that we’ll see a rapid acceleration in the growth of the weed so now is a good time to release the weevils and prevent it from spreading along the canal.
“We’ve introduced weevils on a number of canals over the last few years and have seen some encouraging results, so we hope that by releasing some at targeted spots on the Grantham Canal we’ll be able to reduce the weed and protect wildlife within the canal”.